'Sail Arabia - The Tour' 2014 announced
by Times of Oman on 2 Oct 2013
Sail Arabia - The Tour Times of Oman
EFG International, the leading global private banking group, has announced its return in 2014 as title sponsor for the fourth edition of the prestigious Sailing Arabia–The Tour (SATT), the Gulf region's only annual long distance offshore sailing event organised by Oman Sail.
According to a press release issued by Oman Sail yesterday, the event will again be known as 'EFG Sailing Arabia–The Tour'. And with the dates set for February 9 to 24, 2014, the classic 15-day, 760 nautical mile Gulf coast challenge is officially on.
Contested in identical Farr 30 one-design keelboats, it will feature calls at eight world class marinas in four nations, from Bahrain to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates with the finish in Oman's beautiful capital city, Muscat.
All indications are that the EFG Sailing Arabia-The Tour will build on the huge successes of 2013 with 12 elite GCC and international teams expected to enter the event which has rapidly become one of the most popular 'warm' winter fixtures of the global sailing calendar and an alluring showcase of everything the Gulf has to offer in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and idyllic sailing conditions.
Last year Team AISM, skippered by Bertrand Pacé, eight-time winner of the Tour de France à la Voile and helm of two America's Cup challenges, were crowned 2013 champions.
The 2013 edition hosted top echelon international skippers who rated the regatta among the best in the world.
They included Olympian and winning Volvo Ocean Race skipper Sidney Gavignet who was at the helm of the sponsor's campaign entry EFG Bank (Monaco); British yachtswoman Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions as skipper of the all women entry Al Thuyara Bank Muscat; Omani Mohsin Al Busaidi, the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world and rising star and skipper of Team Abu Dhabi, Adil Khaled, who competed in the 2008 Olympic Games, the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean race.
Full story: http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-23420.aspx
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